Concrete-mixing machine



April 7, 1925.

J. P. FABER ET AL CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE 2 Shasta-Sheet l Filed Dec. 8,1920 lll .Illllnlvl April 7, 1925. 1,532,801

J. P. FABER ET AL CONCRETE MIXING MACHINE Fild Dec. 8, 1920 2Shoetlf-Shut 2' Federated Apr, 7, i925,

unir-sn s Tia Tins T OFF IfCE.

JOHN P, FABER AND WALTER M'ULLE-B, OF DUNELLEN BOROUGH, NEN/V JERSEY,AS- ASGNOR-S, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO RANSOME 'CONCRETE MACHINERY COM-PANY, OF PLA-NFELD, NEWJERSEY, COREORATON OI? CONCRETE-MIXING liIACHINEApplication filed December 8,1920. -Serial No. 429,049.

To @ZZ whom, t .may concern.:

Be it known that We, JOHN P. Fai-ana .and lVnL'rnn MULLER, citizens ofthc United States, and residents of the borough of Dunellen, count-y oiMiddlesex, State lof ,New

Jersey, have invented certain neu7 land useful Improvements in.Concrete-'hlixing .jh/iachines, of which the following is Aaspecification.

The .improvements relate to rotary drum mixers designed priljnarily tobe used in the mixingof concrete and the like, and -more particularly to.the .means AJfor -mixing the materials in the drum anddischarging themtherefrom. Among the advantages ot the improvement are the provision ofWings or blades in the interior of the drum, which will quiclrlyandthoroughly mix a relatively large batch `of concrete aggregates anddeposit them yon the .discharge chute, .and a discharge vchute :which-Will receive and discharge the mixed concrete at thezefnd Aoit' `themixing operation and direct it into .a bar row, chute, or `other conduitor receptacle Without spilling or splashing, and as fast as the same isdeposited thereon .by the blades. A further object is to so constructand ar 'ange therdischarge chute that'it will prevent splashing out lor.spilling lor the liquid or solid aggregates .during the .mixingoperation.

Heretofore it has been common practice to have Vthe blades .o'flconcrete mixers -so arranged that as the drum rotates they will piel;up the aggregates from the lower gpart thereof and permit them to fallagain upon the mass inthe bottom in successive portions, each blade asit passes the 'lowest point and lrises picking up a portion and then,dump ing it :from a point lat or above mid-height. ,fr usual number vofsuch blades is "tour, and as they are most advantageously larranged atequal distance #from each other they are therefore separated by a mean-distance cin-responding tothe arc of an angle of Q0 degrees. The resultof such a construcion is that when a blade arrives at `midneight or rahigher point and begins to discharge its load .the preceding blade hasYreached the vbighest point in its revolution and has -diselra .itslloaf-i,.vand=thegreater it.. .that a .relatively large vbody of the.aggre- .gates will .be constantlyin the bottom ,ot the part of each:loadfalls from ,its shelf separately and without ,coming in contactwith the falling load of the shelf above .or ,below Another result 'ofsuch construction is mi-xer,thus limitinglthe capacity ofthemix crtoVthezone below .theopenings au d .len gthn ening the period required for.thorough mixing. Still another result is Vthat the mixer must .rotate asufficient number `oi' times to permit theaggregates to be `,picked upby .the limited numberofblades anddcposited on the discharge chute .Whenthe mixing .operation .is l'linished 4and the ymixed concrete .is tobedischarged from thefdrum. There is also sometimesan accumulation orpiling up vof the aggregatesin the discharge head of .the drum .due tothe fact .that .fdischarge scoops of considerable capacity must belocated near the discharge end and so constructed that ,they .dischargetheir load von `the chute, Which cannot conveniently he extended throughthe mixer.

This also limits the capacity 4of ,the mixer and the -speedofmixing.There are .further a number of other Well recognized disadvantages .intheY present general construction and ,arrangement orf mixing. and'.disch arging-blades.

Vith the .present improvements the aggregates are Ytaken up rapidly oublades or shelves separated ashort distance only and of such length ,asgto permit them .to fall -at the proper time and in the proper manner,and as two or more blades .are always discharging at the Sametime, at orabove mid-height, theaggregates fallingtheretrom Will mingle .togetherand .will form a .snb stant-ially continuous stream. Alargepart of vthebatch is "also thus .continuously in the upper section.. of a part-.ofthe drum, and as the Acommon 'practice isto charge'thedrum While it isrotating, the lcapacity .of .the ,drum is thecapaeity of theportionbelow the .head openings .plus lthe capacity of the ascendingblades rabove that level and plus the ramoimt of aggregates vconstantlyfalling;

from the 4.blades tothe bottom. The speed andthoroughness of mixing, themanner Ain Which the aggregates Tare Iturned 'over and commingled, andthe capacity of .thermxer used.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the improvements,and in the said drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section ofa mixing drum with the discharge chute and adjacent parts shown in sideelevation; Figure 2 is a transversesection of t-he same, on the line 2&2of Figure l, looking in `the direction indicated by the arrows; Figure 3is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the blades on theinterior of the drum; Figures 1l, 5, G, and 7 are details of the blades;Figi ure 8 is a detail of the discharge chute.

The drum l is of usual construction and is provided with a chargingopening 2 one head, and a discharge openingl 3 in the opposite head. Thedischarge chute is mounted on the rock shaft 5 supported on a suitableframe to swing through the discharge opening 3, and consists ot' a chute4C with arms 6 extending therefrom, and fixed at their outer ends to thesaid shaft. The inward position of the chute is indicated in Figure l,and its outward position by the dotted lines in that ligure. A fixedextension chute 7 is mounted at the discharge opening.,r and extendsfrom said opening to a point well beyond the same, so as to deliver thematerials received from the blades by the chute 4f. to a suitablereceptacle. This extension chute has a depending portion 8 just insidethe flange of the discharge opening, forming a splash plate to preventmaterials from escaping through the portion of the opening between thechute and the lower edge of the opening. This splash plate is notconnected with the drum, so that it remains stationary while the drunirotates.

At the point where the splash plate 8 joins the extension section of thechut-e a flat surface 9 is provided. so that when the swinging portion4- of the chute is in its outward position its inner end will be inContact with or in close proximity to the said surface and paralleltherewith. The portion 9 therefore acts as a stop to check the outwardmovement of the chute, i" necessary, and also in connection with the endof the chute forms a seal to prt-' i terials from splashing out.

lllV

The blades extend from the charging opening of the drum to a point nearthe center thereof and act to move the aggregates toward the dischargeopening and toward the lifting and discharging blades ll, which extendfrom the discharge opening to a point beyond the middle of the drum. Theblades l0 are substantially straight, are four in number, and aredisposed substantially at right angles to the major portion of theblades 11,7but are substantially parallel with the inner turned ends otthe said blades. The blades 1l are eight in number, and are arranged inregular order around the periphery, the blades l0 being similarlyarranged so that one of them ei;- tends between every second pair of theblades 1l. The effect of this construction and arrangement. is that theaggregates are taken up by the blades ll, moved toward the middle of thedrum and dumped from the inner portion thereof downwardly and toward thecharging end of the drum where a portion of the said aggregates comeswithin the influence of the blades 10 and is lifted and moved backtoward the blades ll thereby. A backward and forwart diagona movement isthus imparted to the aggregates while they are being lifted andpermitted to fall by the blades. ht the same ltime the aggregates areconstantly being lifted by the blades ll and dumped therefrom at a pointat and above mid-height of the drinn, the aggregates from three of theblades falling to the bottom simultaneously at all times, and a largeportion of the a9 'egates being constantly in the upper paAVV of thedrum. This insures a quick and thorough mixing of the aggregates andincreases the normal capacity of the drum, since the drum is constantlyin rotation during the charging, mixing. and discharging operations.

i lt. will be seen that of the materials taken up by the blades ll thefirst portion to be discharged there-from is that portion on theupwardly extending part of the blades nearest the discharge head, andthat these materials will fall over the materials in the bottom portionof the blades in the direction of the blades 10, by which they arereturned so as to pass beneath the falling materials in the lower partof the blades ll. This insures that the materials at the top of. themass in the bottom of the mixer are constantly moved and directed insuch a manner as to pass to the lower part thereof,

rllhe width of the blades ll at their lowest part is slightly greaterthan the distance between these blades. and the result ot this is thatthe load lifted by each blade ei-teufls substantially to the bottom ofthe next blanc above By this arrangement a substntially cont nous massof aggregates constantly ext i itls well above midheightof the .drum@and al substantially continuous downvponr'oi these.aggregates'vtallmgfrom the blades is maintained. At the same time the ago'regatestaken Vupby each :blade from the top -ol the mass in the botto-m ot the drum isdischarged thereflQm Si'multaneonsly with and ininglesiv-ith themiddlevportion ot lthe blade fnext yabove and the bottom portion ot' the bladenext abo-ve that,so that the stream ot Vaggregates f'falling from theblades is composed of aggregates taken from all levels ofthe lInassntthe bottom mingled together. This is `true of the portion which isdirected vtoward the charge opening and within the influence ot theblades l0, as well as the portion .which falls in ,a direct verticalpat-h. The `action of lthe blades or scoops ll .in diverting theano'regates laterally to certain extent is brought aboutlargely by thesteeper and longer side .of each blade next to the head otthe drum,which 1s also ot greater diameter as Well as vgreater length than'theortion extendino' L g (D A toward .the charging opening,

otl the chiite The inwardly,turned edge l2 side ot the 4: is on ltheside -opposite the mixer ,on which the'blades ll ascend, `and theopposite lside :of the chute is out away on ra line inclined Vfrom thearm 6, to the inner end ot'theI chute, the inturned portion increasingin width in the opposite direction. rlhe result of this lis that thegates discharge toward the chute by 'the blades or scoops l1, and movinglaterally to some extent ivill pass over the near side ot' the chute andbe caught by the inwardly turned opposite side l2, so that the chutewill-catch a maximum volume ofthe mixed :concrete and permit .none of itto spill .over vthe 1strom;

Another 'feature `ot construction resides in the fact that-:the bladesare approximately equal to the annular i'lange 'formed -by the headswith their central openings. This gives them a lifting.capacityequal toa largeV percentage ot the capacity -ot the drum beloiv the openings,.and the fresultis that a large portion -ot' thc contents ot the mixerare constantly elevated-above the mass in the bottom.

That We claim is:

l. In a mixer the combination of a rotatable drum having a 'hollowcylindrical body and heads with charging and discharging openingstherein, aseries of -blades extending from a point ,fnear the dischargeopening to the medial part of the drum on the interior thereof, the saidblades'being Wider at their vmedial `portions than at theii ends havingone ec gre-secured to thev inner side of the cylindrical Aporti-on andextending inwardly therefrom andbei-ng bent longitudinally intermediatetheiiiendsgto `form, lifting `and mixing :senopgfa Vseries actbladessim- ,soi

-foverlappingg -a-nd being disconnected and spaced therefrom on saidcircumferential line. f

2. In a mixer the combination of a rotatable drum having a hollowcylindrical body and heads With-charging and discharging openingstherein, a series ot ,blades extending Jfrom a. point near the dischargeopening to the medial part of the drum on the interior thereof, the saidblades .havingoneedge secured to the inner side of the cylindricalportion and extending inwardly therefrom and being curved longitudinallyintermediate their ends to form lifting and mixing pockets or scoops,the radial Width ot vsaid blades being substantially equal to their meandistance apart, and the distance zbetiveen each ot' the blades and the`blades nearest it in the series being approximately equal to one-eighthof thecircnmference ot' thel cylindrical por-tion, .the said parts'beingconstructed and arranged to maintain a continuous stream 'of materialsfalling from a plurality of said blades at and above the axis thereof.

3. In a mixer the combination oi a rotatable .drum having a hollowcylindrical body and heads with charging and discharging openingstherein, a series of blades extending from a point near the'dischargeopeningl tothe medial part ot the drum on "the interior thereof, thesaid blades haif'ing one edge secured to the inner side oitl thecylindrical lportion and kextending inwardly therefrom and being curvedlongitudinally intermediate their ends to form liftting and mixingpockets or scoops, the radial Width vor, said blades being substantially.equal to their mean .distance apart, the said parts beingconstructedand arranged to maintain a continuous stream ofmaterialsjtalfling from a plurality of said blades at and above 'theaxis thereot, said blades havinga portion bc- ;tiveen the dischargeopening ot' .the drum 4and the lcurved vportion at an acute angle to thehead of the drum, and the portion extending between said'curved portionand the inner end being approximately at right angies td the first namedportion. but shorter than said rst named portion, the said .parts` beingso constructed and arranged thatmaterials discharged from said: bladesis causedto move laterally toward theicharging opening, and other bladessimilarly mounted extending -from a. point vnear the charging opening tothe medial portion of fthe ilrnm in substantially the oppositedirectionto the direction ot the longer portion of the -irst gnamedblades, :and'so constructed ll l) that materials discharged from the said firstnamed blades are moved back toward the charging opening thereby.

a. The combination of aI rotatable drum having a hollow cylindrical bodyand heads with charging and discharging -openings therein, a series ofblades extending from a vpoint near the discharge opening to the me dialpart of the drum on the interior there; of, said blades having a greaterwidth intermediate their ends than at both ends, and being curved toform pockets between the middle of the drum and its discharge end, andother blades extending from the charging opening to the medial part ofthe drum and having their inner ends terminating in proximity to theinner ends of the lirst named blades, but in spaced relation thereto,the ends of the second blades being located between ends of the lirstblades.

5. In a mixer the combination of a rotatable druin having a hollowcylindrical body and heads with charging and discharging openingstherein, a series of blades extending from a point near the dischargeopening to the middle of the drum on the interior thereof, the saidblades having one edge secured to the inner side of the cylindricalportion and extending inwardly therefrom and being bent longitudinallyand having a widened portion intermediate their ends to form lifting andmixing scoops, a series of relatively straight blades similarly securedand positioned extending inwardly from the head with charging opening toa pointnear the middle of the drum and having their inner ends reducedin width and approximately in circumferential line with the inner endsof the first named blades, but being disconnected and spaced therefromand not overlapping.

6. The combination with a hollow cylindrical drum having a dischargingopening, of a swinging chute and a fixed discharge chute mountedexterior to the drum, a pivoting member located outside the drum uponwhich said chute is pivoted at its outer portion and swings and a rigidconnection between the said chute and its said pivot, the parts being soconstructed and arranged that the chute swings from a position insidethe drum to an inverted position outside the drum by swinging motion onits pivot alone.

7. rl`he combination with a hollow rotatable drum having a dischargeopening, of a chute mounted at such opening and adapted to conveymaterials therethrough, blades mounted on the interior of said drum andarranged to ascend on one side and descend at approximately a rightangle to said bottom and a flange on the other side of inferior width. i

8. The combination with a hollow rotatable drum having aV dischargeopening, of a chute mounted at such opening and adapted to conveymaterials therethrough, blades mounted on the interior of said drum andarranged to ascend on one side and descend on the other side of saidchute with the rotation of the drum, said chute having a substantiallyflat bottom a longitudinal upwardly extending flange on the sideopposite the side on which the. blades ascend and a flange on the otherside of inferior width, said flange on the other side also taperingtoward the inner end of the chute.

9. The combination of a rotatable drum having a hollow cylindrical bodyand heads with charging and discharging openings therein, a series ofblades extending from a point near the discharge opening to the medialpart of the drum on the interior thereof, and being curved to formpockets between the middle of the drum and its discharge end, and otherblades extending from the charging opening to the medial part of thedrum and having their inner ends terininating in proximity to the innerend of the lirst named blades, but in spaced relation thereto, the endsof the second blades being located between ends of the first blades, andsaid second blades being wider at the charging' end of the drum than atthe other end, being substantially straight from end to end and radialfrom side to side.

l0. The method oi process of mixing concrete aggregates in a drum, whichconsists in elevating several portions of the said aggregatessuccessively, so that the said portions are in elevated positionssimultaneously one above another and simultaneously discharging theupper part of each lifted portion with the middle part of the portionnext aboveit and the lowerI part of the portion next above that, andpermitting them to 'fall to the bottom of the drum in a continuousstream, thus causing said parts to inter-mingle while falling, and theupper part of each portion of aggregates to mingle with the middle andlower parts of other portions.

1l. In a mixer the combination of a rotatable drum having a. hollowcylindrical body and heads with charging and discharging openingstherein, a. series of blades extending from a point near the dischargeopening to the middle of the drum on the interior thereof, the saidblades having one edge secured. to the inner side of the cylindricalportion and extending inwardly therefrom and being bent longitudinallyand having a widened portion intermediate their ends to form liftingandv mixing scoops, a series of litt) relatively straight bladessimilarly secured and positioned extending inwardly from the head withcharging opening to a point near the middle of the drum and having theirin- 5 nel' ends approximately in circumferential line with the innerends of the rst named blades7 but being disconnected and spacedtherefrom and not overlapping, the inner ends of both sets of bladesbeing reduced in Width. 10

Witness our bands this 30th day of No vember, 1920, at Dunellen, in thecounty or' Middlesex,v State of New Jersey.

JOHN P. FABER. WALTER MULLER.

